With Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 8, having just gotten to the RTM (Release to Manufacturing) stage, now is the time to find out how the new version of Microsoft’s flagship OS will benefit your business.

While the new Metro user interface and the removal of the ubiquitous Start Menu is what’s been making headlines, Windows 8 promises to offer a range of new features and improvements, which will be of benefit to the enterprise.

One exciting new development is the requirement by Microsoft that all new PCs bearing the Windows 8-certified logo use a new boot solution called Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). This new boot system replaces the decade-old BIOS (Basic Input Output System) that we’re all familiar with. UEFI introduces a range of improvements over traditional BIOS including shortened boot times, reduction in restarts when applying updates or installing software and the ability to conduct remote diagnostics and repair within the pre-OS environment.

Another new feature of Windows 8 sure to attract the attention of the business community is ‘To Go’. This ‘To Go’ feature allows you to place a clean install or existing image of Windows 8 onto a 32GB (or higher) USB stick and boot to it from another PC. This is an extremely handy feature for those of us that need to travel, allowing us to take our complete OS, including applications, settings and files with us on our travels without having to carry a physical computer from place to place.

In addition to the above, Windows 8 makes improvements in areas as varied as additional recovery options, network enhancements and improvements, advanced virtualization support through Client Hyper-V and a whole range of other new and enhanced features.

In summary, while the Metro interface of Windows 8 might take some getting used to, the multitude of new and exciting features in Microsoft’s upcoming operating system will make a positive addition to any business’s IT environment.